apt-dpkg.md

Backup and restore package selections with apt/dpkg

Backup package list:

# dpkg --get-selections > pkg.list

Restore:

# dpkg --set-selections < pkg.list
# apt-get -u dselect-upgrade # this will pull and install all missing packages

see dpkg(1)

Sources.list

# To add an CD-ROM, use apt-cdrom

deb file:///debian jessie main contrib non-free

deb http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian jessie main contrib non-free
deb http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian jessie-backports main contrib non-free
deb http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian jessie-proposed-updates main contrib non-free
deb http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian-security jessie/updates main contrib
deb http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free
deb http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian experimental main contrib non-free

deb-src http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian jessie main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free

deb http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian jessie main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.cn.debian.org/debian jessie main

APT preferences

see apt_preferences (5)

List and Search package contents

$ dpkg -S pkg  # to search installed package content
$ dpkg -L pkg  # to list installed package content
$ apt-file sesarch file  # search file among both installed and uninstalled packages

Package dependency

$ apt-cache depends pkg
$ apt-cache rdepends pkg

# aptitude can resolve some tough dependency situation
$ aptitude install pkg-with-dependency-trouble

Purge packages that are not completely removed

$ dpkg -l | grep ^rc | awk '{print $2}' | sudo xargs dpkg --purge